TRAPS: Beware - this is an eliminatorquestion, designed to shorten the candidate list. Any admission of a weaknessor fault will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the interview.
PASSABLE ANSWER: Disguise a strength as aweakness.
Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to work with a sense of urgency andeveryone is not always on the same wavelength.”
Drawback: This strategy is betterthan admitting a flaw, but it's so widely used, it is transparent to anyexperienced interviewer.
BESTANSWER: (andanother reason it's so important to get a thorough description of yourinterviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure the interviewer that youcan think of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in thisposition with excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest qualifications.
Example: “Nobody's perfect, butbased on what you've told me about this position, I believe I' d make anoutstanding match. I know that when I hire people, I look for two things mostof all. Do they have the qualifications to do the job well, and the motivationto do it well? Everything in mybackground shows I have both the qualifications and a strong desire to achieveexcellence in whatever I take on.
So I can say in all honesty that I seenothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my strongdesire to perform this job with excellence.”
Alternate strategy (if you don't yet know enough about the position totalk about such a perfect fit):
Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like least,making sure that what you like most matches up with the most importantqualification for success in the position, and what you like least is notessential.
Example: Let's say you're applyingfor a teaching position. “If given a choice, I like to spend as much time aspossible in front of my prospects selling, as opposed to shuffling paperworkback at the office. Of course, I longago learned the importance of filing paperwork properly, and I do itconscientiously. But what I really love to do is sell (if your interviewer werea sales manager, this should be music to his ears.)